The present invention relates to three-dimensional (3D) imaging systems in general, and, more particularly to three-dimensional (3D) imaging systems using a priori knowledge about an object of interest that is undergoing image reconstruction using computed tomography.
Image reconstruction algorithms in use today compute the typically three-dimensional (3D) structure of an object from its one or two-dimensional projections without using additional information about the object. Known reconstruction algorithms in the tomography field, and especially the optical tomography field, are deficient in the use of a priori knowledge for enhancing object reconstruction.
In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method for three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of an object of interest, such as a cell, including adjusting a current set of projection images according to a priori knowledge to produce adjusted projection images, for example, based on simple probability masks or Bayesian analysis of multiple similar objects in the same sample. A reconstruction algorithm is used on the adjusted projection images to generate a 3D image. The 3D image is further adjusted according to the a priori knowledge to generate an adjusted 3D image. Criteria for process completion are applied to determine whether the adjusted 3D image is adequate. Otherwise, a set of pseudo projections are computationally created at the same projection angles as the current set of projection images and then compared to the current set of projection images to produce a more realistic set of new projections, wherein the new projections are input again to the reconstruction algorithm and the steps of the method are repeated until the adequacy criteria are met.